File.



No. 8845997'.` l' PATENTBD APR. 14, 190e.

1 .L.F.B0BDE0KER.

' FILE.

vAPPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1906.

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- ing plates UNITED sTATEs 4PATENT oEEioE.

LORENZ F. BOEDECKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PAUL O. STENSLAND, OF

CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

FILE

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed January 5, 1906. Serial No. 294,810.

-siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Files, of which the following is a specification. 4

One of the objects of this invention is the production of an improved file or receptacle adapted to receive record cards or. other articles.

Another object of the, invention is the provision, in a file, of means for facilitating the insertion of matter into the file or the removal of matter therefrom.

A further object is the provision of convenient means for permittingexamination of the matter on file.

The invention further relates to the various novel features hereinafter set forth.

- I have herein illustrated an embodiment of my invention especially adapted for use in banks, safety deposit vaults and similar places where it is desirable to have the records of key-numbers, signatures, bank balances and other facts readily accessible for inspection. It will be understood, however, that the invention is adapted for use in connection with other classes of records, and that it may be used for holding and displaying various articles.

In the 1present embodiment, I provide a series of p ates furnished with means for supporting data cards, said plates being compactly arranged side by side in a vertical position. In order readily to expose to view all of the data cards upon a particular plate I provide means whereby any plate may be raised to a plane above the remaining plates. Means is also provided for retaining the plates in such elevated position, for the insertion, examination or removal ofthe matter supported by the plates.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus ernbodying the features .of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through said apparatus, showing one of the card-supportlocked in elevated position. 4 Fig. 3 is a fragmental section on dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the devices for retaining the card-supporting plates in raised position. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively fragmental side and edge views of one of the card-supporting plates.

. The card-supporting plates hereinbefore referred to are contained Within a casing 1. This casing may be adapted to rest upon any convenient support, or it may form part of a desk, cabinet or other article of furniture. The casing herein shown comprises a front Wall 2, the upper half 3 of which is hinged to the fixed lower part, side Walls 4 and 5, a rear wall 6, a bottom 7 and a hinged cover or top 8. Vertical guide grooves 9 are formed in the inner faces of the side walls 4 and 5 for the reception of the ends of the card-supportingplates to be hereinafter described. Buffer strips 11 are fixed upon the lower side of the top 8. These strips may be of rubber, felt or other suitable material. The bottom 7 of the casing is covered by a sheet 12 of rubber or felt to cushion the fall of the cardsupporting plates.

The card-supporting plates 13 are preferably of sheet metal, each plate being provided at its upper edge with an integral stifening ange'14. In the embodiment herein shown, each plate 13 has a plurality-of sets of tangs 15 struck up from the body of the plate, each set of said tangs being adapted to hold a record card or slip16. Tangs 17 are also struck up from the plate in suitable proximity to the cards held by the tangs 15, to which tangs 17 may be attached in any convenient manner or upon which may be printed or ainted some means for identifying or classiying the record cards, as for instance, a number. The tangs 15 are located upon the plate 13 in position to engage two opposite side edges and the lower edge of the record card, and the tang 17 is located near the lower left-hand corner of the card. `Obviously, the positions of the tangs 15 and 17 may be changed to corres ond with the shape of the card or other artic e to be filed. T e tangs 15 and 17 also serve to stiffen the cardsupporting plates 13. Each of the plates herein shown is provided with means for supporting fifty record cards arranged in five vertical rows of ten cards each. The plates 13 are vertically movable in thezcasing 1, the ends of said plates lying in the guide grooves 9. rI`he casing 1 is about twice the height of the plates 13, in order that any of said plates may be lifted above the others to eX- pose .the entire face of such elevated plate. The means for thus raising the plates 13 will next be described.

To the outer side of the side wall 5 of the casing 1 is al'lfixed in any suitable way a casing 18 within which is a rail 19 supporting a series of bearing lugs 20. A lever 21 is pivotally supported between its ends upon each of said lugs, said levers extending through openings 22 in the side wall olf-the casing 1, and each being connected at its inner end with the rear -face of one of the card-supporting plates 13 by means of a link 23. A guide loop 24 fixed upon each plate 13 prevents lateral movement of the lever 21 and link 23. The outer end of each lever 21, that is to say, the end within the casing 18, is pivotally connected with a rod 25, the upper end of which extends through an opening 26 in the top Wall of the casing 18. The lower end of said rod lies within a slotted opening 27 in the horizontal partition 28 of the casing 18. Pressure exerted upon the key 29 fixed to the upper end of the rod 25 rocks the lever 21 and raises the plate 13 to which said lever is connected.

To lock the plate 13 in its elevated position, when desired, I provide upon one side of each of the rods 25 a rib 30, and slidably support in the casing 18 a detent fork 31, the closed end of which fork is adapted to be pushed between the top wall of the casing 18 and the square upper end of the rib 30 when the rod 25 is depressed. The detent fork 31 has an operating stem 32 extending through an opening 33 in the side oi the casing 18, and is provided at its outer end with a key 34. rlhe weight of each card-supporting plate 13 is partially counterbalanoed by a coiled spring 35 surrounding the rod 25 and bearing at its opposite ends upon the under side of l i l the detent fork 31 and a nut 36 threaded upon the rod 25. Said nut provides means for adjusting the tension ol' the spring 35.

In use, record cards, or whatever articles the iile is intended lor, are placed upon the plates 13 b y raising said. plates, one ai ter another, and locking them in the elevated position while the cards or other articles are being inserted in the engaging devices on the plates. lVhen it is desired to examine a card, the plate 13 carrying said card is elevated by depressing the corresponding` key 34. Vhen the apparatus is in use the hinged front 3 is let down, as shown in Fig. l, and the cover 8 is closed. To safeguard the contents oiE the iile, means may be provided .for looking the 'lront 3 and the cover 8 in closed position. lhen the inciosing casing l'or the iiling apparatus herein shown l'orms a part of a cabinet, bank iixture or other article ol' furniture, the lront 3 and cover 8 will, of course, be suitably modilied, er equivalent means substituted therefor.

l claim as my invention:

ln a i'ile, in combination, a casing having vertical guide grooves in two oiI its opposite walls; card-supporting plates in said casing with their ends lying in said guide grooves; a pivoted lever having a link connection with each of said card-supporting plates a vertically extending key rod l'or each oi said levers, said key rod having a locking projection thereon; a coiled spring surrounding each key rod 'for counterbalaneing said card supporting plates, and a slidable detent fork, the closed end oi'V said Afork being adapted to engage said lockingl projection.

LORENZ F. l()ICl)IC(l{lCl. litnessesz L. L. MILLER, Gnoner. Il. (lnlNnAinp. 

